- any of the bristles growing from the spikelets of certain grasses, including cereals
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
awn
(ôn),USA pronunciation n. [Bot.]
awned, adj.
awn′less, adj.
- a bristlelike appendage of a plant, esp. on the glumes of grasses.
- such appendages collectively, as those forming the beard of wheat, barley, etc.
- any similar bristle.
- Indo-European * Haeḱ- sharp
- a pre-Hellenic substratum language);
- Scandinavian; compare Old Norse ǫgn, Old Danish aghn husk; replacing and cognate with Old English ægnan; cognate with Gothic ahana, Old High German agana (German Agen, Ahne), Dutch, Frisian agen; Old Latin agna ear of grain, Czech osina awn; Greek ákaina thorn, bristle, ákhnē chaff (
- Middle English aw(u)n, agune, agene, probably 1250–1300
awn′less, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
awn /ɔːn/ n
'awn' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
beard
- arete
- arista
- awner
- awning
- awning deck
- awning window
- awnless bromegrass.
- muticous